Anyone who has been following the developments in Eastern Europe, particularly the crises between Russia and Ukraine must have asked or thought of these questions, “What is Russia’s main objective of trying to destabilize the region? Is Putin trying to recreate the defunct Soviet Republic? Why does Ukraine seem to be the main catch?”
I always like to ask crucial questions and try to get answers to them and that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do relating to the Ukrainian crises. I’m concerned about the crises in Ukraine, most especially because of more civilian deaths and the extremely fragile ceasefire which has repeatedly been violated over the past week. The death toll in Ukraine has risen to a little above 3,000. Many people including the United States President and Secretary of States have pointed accusing fingers at Russia of trying to destabilize the region and of course, this has brought on multiple U.S and E.U backed sanctions. I believe, without an iota of doubt, that Russia is backing the separatists in Ukraine and proividing them with military and logistic support.
Ukrainian Prime Minster, Arseny Yatseniuk was more hard-hitting when he referred to Russia as the ‘key aggressor’. More interestingly, he directly accused the Russian President, Vladimir Putin of ‘trying to destroy Ukraine as an independent country’. He further opined that Putin will not be content with just Crimea or even Eastern Ukraine but will try to take the whole of Ukraine.
There’s something I like so much about Yatseniuk and that’s his bluntness. On Vladmir Putin, He bluntly added that ‘his goal is to take the entire Ukraine. He cannot cope with an idea that Ukraine would be a part of big EU family. He wants to restore the Soviet Union’.
Of course, its not only the Ukrainian Prime Minister that is of the opinion that Russia is not comfortable with the spreading European Union’s influence in Eastern Europe or that many former Soviet States are increasingly turning to the West. In thesame vein, America will do its best to prevent Russia’s influence in Europe or anything that looks like a reinvention of the Soviet Republic. Perhaps, its the battle for “World Power”. Russia, obviously, didnt just sit back and watch former Soviet States become pro-American. Putin decided to act and the most delicious dinner, he decided, had to be Ukraine. He set out with the annexation of Crimea in March. The world cried foul but nothing much was done except for some sanctions and he was successful. Putin’s technique now is trying to systematically destabilize Ukraine, particularly the Russian speaking parts and he probably plans to take cities like Donetsk and Luhansk.
Putin wants Russia to get back to its very influential days as ‘World Super Power’ and of course he thinks the recreation of the powerful Soviet Union will be the best route to follow. He is also keen on keeping close relations with former Soviet States and prevent them from turning to the EU, NATO or America but to Russia. He knows that for Russia to bring back those days of influence, he must wrestle with U.S dominance. It seems to me that Putin is going after Ukraine because Ukraine is a really strategic country now. It boasts of a population of 45 million people and is probably the most influential former Soviet State after Russia. Getting Ukraine will be a huge success to Putin and will make his task of getting other smaller countries far easier.

I have to say that the West in my opinion through the EU opened up the opportunity for him to do it when they supported the overthrow of the elected president. I know they deny this but representatives of the U.S. State Department had a very active presence in Kiev during Euromaidan protests and Victoria Nuland was even heard on a leaked phone conversation discussing who would be chosen as the replacements in the pro-Western governments. I’ve always found it hypocritical how America and the Europeans are slamming Russia for providing support to rebels in East Ukraine while they completely orchestrated the replacement of Yanokovych. It seems the as if the Ukrainian civilians, as you mentioned in your post, are not what’s on the minds of the people who are backing both sides in the conflict. It’s turned into a a huge standoff between Russia and the West (Europe and America).

Exactly!!! You gave a point clear analysis of the whole crises. The hypocritical West supported the replacement of Yanukovych and Russia responded in its own way in order to prevent Ukraine from becoming pro-Western. This is all about a supremacy battle, the sad thing is that the two parties are putting their own interests above peace and humanity.

Exactly! The way I see it is let the people of East Ukraine decide for themselves if they want to be part of this new EU-proxy gov. or not. I know there was a vote though I’m no expert in saying in how legit it was, and I don’t trust Western media to necessarily tell me the truth. But it is quite clear that the West-approved government has no intention of letting the east leave even if they want to. It’s such a horrible situation.

I have been following the situation closely and would say Caleb is most certainly correct. Perhaps your question at the outset could have been what is NATO and the US reason for trying to destabilise the Ukraine. I would be ashamed to support the current junta given their fascist leanings. They say a country can be judged by the way it treats its POW’s and certainly its vulnerable and poor. The recent prisoner exchange shows the differing treatment by the armies and those fighting the Ukraine junta to become Novorussia would welcome more from what they believe is an overcautious Putin. I personally am happy to see more caution from all rather than throw support behind this regime.